Assuming humankind eventually colonizes the whole milky way, which religions will do best on other planets?

Question

For example, Islam's emphasis on pilgrimage to Mecca as one of the five pillars of Islam make it unwieldly for Muslims on distant planets as does the need to pray toward Mecca. You'd need to build your mosques on other planets on giant turntables.

If we are limited to sublight speeds, eventually Catholism will have problems, as the fringes of human colonization get farther and farther away from the Pope.

How will Neo-Paganism do on other worlds? Judaism? Buddhism? Protestantism?

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Answer 1

Piers Anthony wrote an interesting trilogy on this theme. [The _Tarot_ series.]

_Philosophical Daoism_ will probably be the religion least affected by either contact with intelligent life on another planet, or people moving to other planets, or solar systems.

Protestant Christianity :
As a distinct religion, Protestant Christianity is on its deathbed. The theological differences between the various groups that fall under this, are wide, and getting wider. By the time interstellar colonization is economiclly feasible, you'll see half a dozen groups, with roots in this movement. Some of them will survive the transition into intersteller colonization with ease. Others will die, because that puts an end to the possibility of the prophecies in the Bible being true.

Buddhism
It won't affect Buddhist theology much. Some practices might be changed, to accord with the local conditions.The sects that focus more on meditation, and less on ritual, will have an easer time of transtion.

Judaism
Karaite Judaism might survive, but not grow. [This branch of Judaism is pretty much doomed to extinction, for unrelated theological reasons.]
Orthodox Judaism has theological objections to exploring, and settling the galaxy . It would continue to attempt to maintain control over all Judaism, through its Sanhedrian Court.
Reform Judaism will be able to migrate to other planets. Their belief system would not be radically affected. [They problby will be rejected as "heretical Jews, and as such, not Jews, but imposters, by Orthodox Judaism, by this stage in time.]
Conservtive Judaism might be able to migrate, but only at the expense of keeping Orthodox Judaism in both political and spiritual control.
For all four of those sects of Judaism, the big issue is always going to be: "What is gained by abandoning _Eretz Yisrael Hashlemah_?" Both Karaite and Rabbinical Judaism will see that as a solution to political and religious oppression by Orthodox Judaism. For Conservative Judaism, the issue is slightly more complicted. They will be able to remain, or settle in Eretz Ysreal, but only as second class citizens. By interplanetary colonizatin, they will be able to create their own version of Erezt Ysrael. For Orthodox Judaism, there is no gain from colonization, _unless_ they have been expelled from Erets Ysreal, and are seeking refuge elsewhere. _If_ this happens, expect the entire planet that they settle on to be run strictly according to the principles outlined in the Torah. (And this might be the easiest way to convince groups with strong religious, and cultural ties, to emigrate --- promise them a place where nobody who is not of their group will be settled.)

Neo-Paganism:
Depends upon the group.
* Wicca, and its related belief systems would morph into something barely recognizable, due to the lack/non-existence of the qurters, and cross-quarters.
* Druids, and their related beleif systems might have issues finding the appropriate tools;
* Ceremonial magick will have an issue trying to determine the appropriate time for a ritual, from an astrological POV. (Other than tht, it has the biggest potential of surviving, and expanding its influence.)

Answer 2

Do these religions coincide with Bible teaching? Nopes...Besides you can assume a thing all ya want..the likelyhood of the human race ever colonizing anything before we've come to our own destruction on this planet is very improbable. The Bible says that too. We can't even make it to the Moon and back over half the time or land a shuttle on a rainy day off the cape. So go figure...Love in Christ, ~J~ <><

Answer 3

The answer, at least as far as I can see it, depends upon two things: who gets out there and does the majority of the colonizing, and whether or not humanity is able to overcome its penchant for grouping people into "us" and "them".

We're a hard-headed, stone-stupid race. There, I've said it. We're more than willing to do the most absurd act if we can only find some way - no matter how flimsy - to justify it (suicide bombers, crusades, NASCAR anyone?). We tend to view anyone who doesn't share an almost identical world-view as our own as (at best) foreign or (at worst) completely alien and evil.

So no, I don't see any particular religion claiming dominance. Especially since there are usually many sub-sects to each of the "main" religious beliefs.

Answer 4

Judaism will always be turned to the direction of Israel and Jerusalem, but then again Jews are always on the edge of any scientific expedition.

Protestant Christians will have no problem being far from everybody and will likely seek a place to isolate them selves from other religions.

Buddhists will try and find a place with spectacular natural beauty and peaceful surroundings so that they may better connect with their spirituality.

Answer 5

Catholocism would do well, since it is a Universal religion. Protestantism would do well because it is rather decentralized.
Judiasm would do well because of the long history of wandering throughout the world--into many diverse cultures and being able to adapt and to give whereever it goes.
Buddhism would do well because of its transcendent nature.
Paganism would do well because of it's focus on nature and natural elements.

Answer 6

How do we know that humankind hasn't already colonized the galaxy, and that were just the "new kids on the block"? As far as an ultimate galactic religion goes, that remains to be seen. We can only speculate.

Answer 7

Christianity would do great, seeing as churches can be planted anywhere, and Christianity is all about Christ Jesus, not some mosque. But I seriously doubt that we'll ever get to that point in time anyway.

Answer 8

Pseudo intellectuals should frame questions that are based on simple premises, so the more knowledgeable won't realize what they are really up to. But of course if they could have, they would have, hence this particular inanity.

Answer 9

If you would like to make clever little jokes about my obviously strange religion, at least attempt to spell it right.

"Catholicism."

What makes you think we wouldn't take the Pope with us?

We would put him in a transparent, meteor proof pod.

Good question.

Answer 10

When and if we reach the point that we are able to colonize the entire galaxy most religions will have been disproven.